Migratory Species: Working Together Towards a Vision for 2020,

May 16, 2007

Jennifer Wheeler, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Migratory Birds

& Waterbird Conservation for the Americas

Seabird Conservation Activities in North

America Opportunities and Challenges for Management of At-Sea Threats

• Waterbird Conservation Council is the steering body for the Waterbird Conservation for the Americas initiative

• Scope is seabirds and other aquatic birds in the Western Hemisphere; current membership drawn from nations throughout the Americas as well as initiatives such as BirdLife International, WHSRN, CMS and Ramsar.

• Key outcomes of January 2007 meeting:

–Intensified activities related to seabird conservation, and

–Creation of a task force to develop a strategy for Americas-wide conservation of waterbirds

Waterbird Conservation Council

Seabirds 101• Definitions, characteristics, and natural history• Families:

• Diomedeidae (albatrosses)• Procellariidae (petrels, shearwaters, fulmars)• Hydrobatidae (storm-petrels)• Phaethontidae (tropicbirds) • Sulidae (boobies and gannets) • Fregatidae (frigatebirds)• Alcidae (auklets, murres, puffins) • Laridae (terns/noddies)

Photo Courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Photo by Glen TepkePhoto by Ralph Eldridge Photo by Bob Pitman

Photo by Naomi BargmannPhoto by Heiko SpallekPhoto by Verena GillPhoto by Martin Renner

Global Conservation Status

•Many are in decline and threatened with extinction

•Diomedeidae, Procellariidae, and Hydrobatidae make-up 45% of global seabird species and 74% of seabird species on IUCN Red List

•NAWCP Assessments - 100% “highly imperiled” and > 80% of both “highly imperiled AND “high concern” species fall within these families

Data courtesy of BirdLife International

Overview of Threats● impacts of non-native species on breeding

grounds● predation● competition ● habitat alteration/loss● disturbance

● fisheries interactions● competition for prey● incidental capture

● pollution (chronic and acute)● oil● biomagnification of contaminants in food web

● plastic debris● ingestion● entanglement

● global climate change

Peter Ryan

van Franeker

By Sea: Challenges and Opportunities in

Scienceand Policy

Photo by Mike Danzenbaker

Science: Distribution and Abundance

● ocean is not homogeneous ● seasonal usage● foraging areas● linkage with climatic-oceanographic conditions● migratory routes Cordell

Bank

Kuletz and Irons 2007

Science: Tracking Ocean Wanderers

Images courtesy of BirdLife International

Images Courtesy of: Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Science: Impact of Fisheries

• nature of interactions• direct (bycatch; food subsidies)• indirect (prey depletion, availability)

• type and location• population-level impact? Fo

ragi

ng

area

s

Habitat

usage

Fisheries activity and

location

Spatio-temporal overlap

Science: What’s Needed

Photo by Peter LaTourrette

• international national coordination of at-sea monitoring

• continent-wide seabird monitoring database• monitoring programs to improve understanding

of seabird population dynamics and trends

• assess the risk of seabird interactions in particular fisheries

• education and promotion designed to increase awareness and to stimulate solutions

Policy: Bycatch & Other Threats• Variety of Measures

Available• Authorities, Means

– Migratory Bird Treaties– Endangered Species

Laws– Fisheries Management

Laws– Environmental Statues– Protected Areas

Legislation– International

Instruments

Short-Tailed Albatross by Yuri Artkuhin

Policy: International Instruments

• 1990 UN global driftnet ban and 1995 FAO Code of Conduct

• 1999 FAO International Plan of Action – Seabirds• National Plans of Action: Assess, mitigate, and plan future

research• Seven nations (and Taiwan) have NPOAs

• Implementation varies• FAO and BLI will soon assist in the development of best practices guidelines

• 2004 Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels

• Ongoing action within the RFMOs

Policy: What’s Needed

• Collaborate and coordinate efforts internationally, within an overall seabird conservation framework

• Address seabird needs and threats through education, capacity-building, and partnership as well as regulatory or intergovernmental mechanisms

• Establish an alliance which brings together the organizations and instruments in a holistic, integrated approach.

Thank You

Photo Courtesy of Juan Fernandez Island Conservancy

Jennifer_A_Wheeler@fws.govwww.waterbirdconservation.org